Bassam is an Arabic name and a given name roughly meaning "one who smiles". More accurately, it is the Arabic name "Basem" (often incorrectly written in English as Bassem) that translates to "one who smiles". Basem is the

agent noun In linguistics, an agent noun (in Latin, ) is a word that is derived from another word denoting an action, and that identifies an entity that does that action. For example, "driver" is an agent noun formed from the verb "drive". Usually, ''derive ...

of the Arabic verb with the root ba-sa-ma, which means to smile. The name "Bassam" is the ''exaggerated form'' of the agent noun (Arabic: صيغه مبالغه), and would therefore roughly translates to "one who smiles profusely". The name is most common in the

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...

. Notable people with the name include:

Notable people named Bassam

* Bassam Frangieh (born 1950), scholar of Arabic literature and culture * Bassam Jamous, Syrian archaeologist *

Bassam Kousa Bassam Kousa ( ar, بسام كوسا; born 7 November 1954 in Aleppo) is a Syrian film and TV actor. He played many important roles in popular TV series including ''Bab al-Hara'' and '' Old Times''. He is also an accomplished film actor. Persona ...

(born 1963), Syrian actor *

Bassam Abdel Majeed Bassam Abdel Majeed (; ar, بسام عبد المجيد ) (born 1950) is a Syrian military officer, politician and diplomat of Circassian origin. Early life and education Majeed is of Circassian origin, and was born into a Sunni Muslim family ...

(born 1950), Syrian minister * Bassam Abdullah bin Bushar al-Nahdi (born 1976), Yemeni wanted by the US FBI * Bassam Saba (1958–2020), Lebanese musician *

Bassam Shakaa Bassam Shakaa ( ar, بسّام الشكعة, Bassām Shak’ā) (1930 – 22 July 2019) was mayor of Nablus from 1976 to 1982. Biography Bassam Shakaa was a member of one of the most distinguished families in Nablus. He became a member of the J ...

(born 1930), Palestinian politician *

Bassam as-Salhi Bassam Al-Salhi ( ar, بسام الصالحي, born 1960) is a General Secretary of the Palestinian People's Party and elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He was the party's candidate for President of the Palestinian Authority ...

(born 1960), General Secretary of the Palestinian People's Party *

Bassam Abu Sharif Bassam Abu Sharif ( ar, بسام أبو شريف; born 1946 in Jerusalem) is a former senior adviser to Yasser Arafat and leading cadre of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). He was previously a member of the Popular Front for the Li ...

(born 1946), Palestinian politician * Bassam el-Shammaa (born 1962), Egyptian Egyptologist *

Bassam Al-Soukaria Bassam Al-Soukaria (; May 14, 1580 – April 13, 1667) was a Lebanese army commander-in-chief, son of Prince Nazim el Maany from the Maan Druze dynasty. Bassam Al-Soukaria is considered one of the most powerful army commanders to rule Mount L ...

(1580–1667), Lebanese army commander * Bassam Tahhan, professor of Arabic literature * Bassam Talhouni, Jordanian lawyer, academic and politician *

Bassam Tibi Bassam Tibi ( ar, بسام طيبي), is a Syrian-born German political scientist and professor of international relations specializing in Islamic studies and Middle Eastern studies. He was born in 1944 in Damascus, Syria to an aristocratic famil ...

(born 1944), Syrian-German political scientist *

Bassam Yammine Bassam Yammine (Arabic: بسام يمين; born 1968) is a Lebanese economist and former CEO of Credit Suisse Saudi Arabia. Early life and education Yammine was born into a Maronites, Maronite family. He obtained bachelor of arts and master's d ...

(born 1968), Lebanese businessman * Bassam Zuamut (1951–2004), Israeli Arab Actor

Surname

Ibn Bassam Ibn Bassām or Ibn Bassām al-Shantarinī (; 1058-1147) was an Arab poet and historian from al-Andalus. He was born in Santarém (sometimes spelled Shantarin or Xantarin) and hailed from the Banu Taghlib tribe. He died in 1147. Ibn Bassam descr ...

(died 1147), Moorish writer *

Rehab Bassam Rehab Bassam ( ar, رحاب بسام), is an Egyptian blogger who rose to fame in 2008 when Dar al Shorouk, one of the most prominent Egyptian publishing houses, published a collection of her blog posts in book form. She is an active blogger sinc ...

(born 1977), Egyptian blogger *

Steve Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton John Steven Bassam, Baron Bassam of Brighton, (born 11 June 1953) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician and a member of the House of Lords. Background Bassam grew up on a council estate in Great Bentley, Essex and went to the local ...

(born 1953), British politician *

Sulayman Al-Bassam Sulayman Al-Bassam, (1 June 1972), is a Kuwaiti playwright and theatre director, and founder of Zaoum theatre company (London 1996-2001) and its Arabic arm Sulayman Al-Bassam Theatre Kuwait (2002). From The Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK ...

, (born 1972), Anglo-Kuwaiti playwright

References

{{Reflist

Notable people named Bassam

Surname

See also

References